Blame it on the alcohol
by Hitokun
Summary: Casey takes a chance and finally decides to be social, following her coworkers out to a night out at a popular bar. She calls on a bit of liquid courage to finally talk to the one person who's captured her interest, Alex Cabot. Alex/Casey


The dull roar of the onstage band filled the packed room, but in an isolated corner of the bar, two figures were talking animatedly, half-empty drinks in both of their hands. They seemed to be the only people trying to converse over the noise, engrossed in each other's presence.

"You're stunningly beautiful, Casey, so it makes me curious that you're not seeing anyone."

At first, the redhead was shocked to hear such a blatant compliment, but then started to blush quite visibly as she realized that it was said in all seriousness. It was uncharacteristic of her co-worker to be so flirty to say the least, but Casey wasn't complaining. She had waited a long time to finally get the other attorney alone.

Flirting wasn't one of her strengths and the redhead compensated by looking to procure more liquid courage.

"It's not that I haven't tried to find someone. It's just that work-you know how it is." Casey laughed nervously, swirling her glass full of pink liquid absently before downing it. She was feeling increasingly jittery for one, and enjoying the conversation perhaps a little more than she was supposed to.

"I know exactly what you mean. This job…I guess that anyone who's as dedicated as us are practically married to the DA's office."

Casey's conversation partner leaned in at that, brushing away an imaginary speck of dust on the redhead's shoulder. The hand lingered for a moment, making Casey's heart race.

"Yeah…but you know, I would have to say that you're quite attractive yourself, so I'm as equally surprised as you are that _you're_ still single." The redhead mirrored the other lawyer's actions, leaning in, feeling oddly adventurous.

With raised eyebrows, the lawyer closed the distance between them, feeling the chemistry buzz between them. "I didn't say I was single, Casey."

The redhead swallowed at the sudden closeness, feeling her heart pound in her chest. Daringly, Casey set down her drink on the table next to them, raising a hand as she grabbed a fistful of the other lawyer's shirt in her hands, pulling them closer. "That, I guess was just wishful thinking on my part, _counselor_."

One minute, the two ADAs were having a conversation about work, colleagues, past lovers…and the next, Casey Novak found herself pinned against the wall in a dark corner of the crowded bar with her lips moving furiously against a buxom blonde's. The kiss was gentle, but intense, full of something that Casey had never felt before, but when hands started wandering, the lawyer knew she had to sober up. Breaking the kiss, the younger ADA scrambled to adjust her skirt, trying to catch her breath.

"A-Alex, what are you doing?"

Over the loud music, the blonde barely picked up on Casey's words even though the redhead was right up against her, her lips almost grazing her ear.

Alex grinned, raising a hand as she tucked a few stray strands behind Casey's ear. The blonde returned the gesture, whispering back, "You're asking me? It looked like you were the one making a move on me if I wasn't mistaken."

Shaking her head, Casey flushed a bright red. She couldn't resist Alex's smile, but for the sake of her dignity and reputation, she made the tough choice. "I'm sorry. I think I've had too much to drink tonight…" Gingerly prying Alex's hands off her, Casey distanced herself from the taller woman. Without another word, she half-stumbled back into the fray, escaping through the crowd to the bar.

Casey's eyes darted nervously around the crowded tavern.

Honestly, she had only come because it was Alex who invited her to a celebration after work. It was spontaneous, but also a Friday. They were there with Olivia, Elliott, their friends, and a few dozen cops and lawyers from the DA's office. The music was deafening, the conversation, laughter, and screaming just adding to the noise. Casey thanked her lucky stars that the band was half decent tonight, drawing most of the patrons' attention to the stage. Sighing, the redhead decided that she needed something stronger than the cosmos that her coworkers had been buying her all night.

Decidedly, she needed another drink. Or two.

Getting to the bar counter, Casey was all elbows, almost screaming over the sea of people blowing their money on expensive alcohol. "Scotch, please. Top shelf."

"Make that two."

A familiar voice echoed Casey's order and the redhead looked over, almost horrified to see the face of Alexandra Cabot smiling back at her.

"Alex! It's not-I was just…" Casey was about to launch into a whole spiel about how she was definitely not attracted to the blonde and how anything between them was the alcohol talking, but Alex had interrupted her quite effectively, stopping the redhead in her tracks with an intense gaze.

"I'm just getting a drink, Casey. No need to get defensive there." Alex had leaned in, her sultry alto voice sending shivers down the redhead's spine. "I thought you said you had too much to drink, so I hope you know where to draw the line, _counselor_."

Just as soon as Alex had invaded Casey's personal space, she was gone, the sudden absence of warmth against her body, a stark difference.

Smiling, Alex stood at a comfortable distance away from Casey, now leaning on the bar counter, waiting for the scotch that she had ordered.

Swallowing hard, Casey just stared, unsure of what to make of that look that she had seen in her colleague's eyes. It was a mix of amusement, confidence, and arousal that Casey could hear in the woman's voice as well.

"Scotch here! Two orders."

Before Casey could react, Alex had pressed a few bills into the man's hands in exchange for the glasses with the amber liquid sloshing around in them.

"Think of this as an apology, Casey." The queen of the DA's office offered Casey one of the two glasses, a smirk working its way onto her lips when the redhead hesitated. "I didn't spike your drink. I promise."

Blushing, Casey took the scotch without another word, feeling like a mess of nerves around the other woman. "Thanks…" Casey mumbled as she took a swig of the strong smelling liquid, feeling the burn in her throat as she moved to run from the blonde who always made her feel things she wasn't used to feeling. The young prosecutor wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the lip lock they just shared, but her attention was being drawn more and more to Alex's disheveled appearance. It wasn't the ADA's usual look, but the blonde made it work with her tousled blonde locks and slightly mussed clothing. Her usually prim and proper blouse was unbuttoned further down than it should be, a gold chain that sat at the curve of her breasts just barely visible.

Casey swallowed hard and turned away, drowning her feelings of arousal in another few sips of the strong stuff. The redhead only managed a few steps before that voice called out to her again, accompanied by a hand that had tightened around her slim wrist.

"Casey, wait."

There was an urgency in Alex's voice that Casey couldn't ignore. With her muddled thoughts, the redhead couldn't think straight. She wanted to talk to Alex about what happened before, but the young ADA was afraid that she wouldn't be able to resist kissing her blonde coworker again.

Hesitantly, Casey turned and locked eyes with Alex, gesturing to an empty table in the corner of the bar with a tilt of her head. The band was picking up now, more and more people flitting onto the dance floor to sway in a crowd of drunken bodies.

Seemingly forgetting that Alex's hand was firmly wrapped around hers, Casey led the way, pressing through the crowd of perspiring cops and lawyers. Her mind was blank, focused on the feeling of Alex's hand in her sweaty palms, the excitement building in her chest. It was a feeling much like a pleasant high, almost giddy. Strangely, it wasn't an unfamiliar feeling. It was just a feeling that Casey categorized sometimes as admiration, as envy, and very often, lust.

There really wasn't anything wrong with those sentiments as a stand-alone, but the issue was the fact that Casey often felt that mix of emotions around ADA Alex Cabot.

As they sat down, Casey took a deep breath and sighed. "I just want to say-"

"No, Casey. Before that, I need to say that I'm sorry. I…" Alex paused, swirling the glass in her hand, trying to find the words. "I misread your signals. You're not actually interested, are you?" Offering an apologetic smile, Alex set her drink down, her blue eyes boring into Casey's soul, trying to convey her sincerity.

Nearly downing the rest of her glass, the redheaded ADA tried to draw on her liquid courage before she embarked on shooting down the gorgeous blonde's advances. "Alex, don't apologize. I get it. I mean I know that we hit it off, but aren't you dating that bureau chief from homicide? I've heard the chatter."

Alex raised an eyebrow, surprised that Casey brought that up before the co-worker or the gender issue. Maybe the redheaded prosecutor was more concerned about cheating than fraternization or the fact that they were both women. All the while, Casey had dodged the question altogether. "I'm not. I don't usually date lawyers…" The blonde raised the glass to her lips, but the smell of the aged scotch assaulted her senses. Her nose wrinkled in disgust and she put it down again. She continued. "I don't usually date men either."

"I'm sorry…I don't…wait, what?" Shaking her head and laughing nervously, Casey was a bit confused, because she was certain she wasn't completely intoxicated. Blinking once and then twice, Casey filled the awkward silence with a few sips from her glass. It was news to her that Alex bat exclusively for the other team, but secretly, the young ADA felt a surge of excitement at the revelation.

Laughing, Alex adjusted her glasses, having run the scenario through her head a few times before. It wasn't an uncommon reaction when she told people about her personal preferences.

"You're…" Casey started up again, but she trailed off, looking into Alex's eyes to see if she could find her answers there.

Alex grinned, amused by how the redhead was so flustered by the revelation. "I thought it was obvious from the way I flirted with you earlier…Unless I'm losing my touch."

"No, no. You were very…effective." Casey looked away as she said that, cringed almost at her choice of words. "But I wasn't sure if you were just one of those women who got a bit flirty and handsy while drinking…I mean-you know what I mean."

Alex chuckled again, amused to no end at seeing this side of Casey. "Casey, it's not college, you know? Alcohol isn't an excuse anymore for people to become someone who isn't responsible for their actions. I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have risked my professional relationship with you unless I read the signals correctly, but I could be wrong."

Casey shook her head, feeling a bit guilty. "I guess I'm still a little naïve. It's a hard thing for me to admit, but I do have a fair bit of social anxiety. The alcohol just helps me take the edge off. It gives me the excuse I need to know that people might not hold me accountable if they know that I'm completely inebriated."

There was a slight pause in their conversation and Alex just watched the emotions flit past on Casey's face. There was nothing but stark honesty in the redhead's expression.

"There's no need to explain yourself, Casey. It's easy to get caught up in the moment of things." Alex reached out a hand and rested it on the redhead's shoulder, giving the woman a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry. I've chased my share of straight girls before and all it takes is a pretty face, alcohol, and the right amount of curiosity to seal the deal." At that, Alex motioned to stand, making her exit. "I hope this doesn't make things awkward at work for us."

"Alex, don't go. It's not like that."

There was a skeptical look on the blonde's face and she hesitated to sit down again. "Weren't you the one who said you had one too many tonight?"

Raising an eyebrow at that statement, Casey shook her head, wanting to deny everything yet explain her actions to the confident woman in front of her. "that was just an excuse. I don't just like you for your pretty face, Cabot. I don't want to feed your ego there, but you've got other admirable qualities that I've noticed while working with you at the DA's office."

"That's awfully formal, Novak. What do you mean to say with that?" Curious to see where this was going, Alex took a seat once again, amused.

"Geez, Alex. Why do you have to make things so difficult?" Shaking her head, Casey sighed, feeling embarrassed. She flashed a glare at the blonde who clearly had a satisfied smirk on her face. "I just want to get to know you better, because I'm attracted to you...as a person."

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Alex's smirk still hung on her lips. She adjusted her chair to be seated more closely to the redhead, intrigued by the spontaneous confession. "Does that mean you want to take me out on a date?" The blonde teased, her tone almost sing-song. Alex had had quite a few drinks herself, finding it tedious to keep up her ice queen facade.

"I thought you said you didn't date lawyers earlier." Testing the waters, Casey pushed, feeling a surge of confidence as the alcohol started working its magic.

"I did say that, didn't I?" Alex leaned over as she whispered to the redhead. " _I would make an exception for you, Casey_."

"That's…that's a pretty attractive offer there." The redhead shuddered, feeling the excitement course through her veins.

"I'm glad you think so, because I'm willing to make that exception especially for tonight." Alex was right up against Casey, her lips pressing a chaste kiss to the lawyer's exposed neck.

Pulling away from Alex, Casey closed her eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath. "Alex, I just need to make up my mind here."

"Is there anything I could do to help you with that?" Alex replied smoothly without missing a beat, eager to get Casey to concede now that she had her hooks in the young woman.

"Yes, well...I've worked with you long enough to know that you hate whiskey, gin, and especially scotch, so give it up." Casey gestured to Alex's untouched glass.

"By all means…" Alex pushed the scotch along to table to Casey, watching intently.

The redheaded lawyer didn't care if she was coming off as an alcoholic, and downed the contents of Alex's glass without a second thought.

"I hope that isn't your subtle way of telling me that you can't be involved with me unless you're intoxicated." Alex was half-joking, but mostly concerned.

Slamming the glass down in a dramatic fashion, Casey looked the blonde in the eye. "Shut up, Alex." The redhead's inquisitive green eyes told the older lawyer that the woman had finally made a decision.

"Are you sure this isn't the alcohol talking, Casey?" Alex was trying to stifle her enthusiasm, her body gravitating towards the younger ADA.

"You're damn right it isn't. I just needed a little encouragement to do _this_."

At that, Casey closed the distance between her and Alex, pressing her full lips against the blonde's. She forced her way into Alex's mouth, gripping fistfuls of the lawyer's blouse in her hands to bring them closer together. Alex reciprocated with equal fervor, threading her fingers through Casey's hair as she moaned into the kiss.

After minutes in a heated lip lock, the two attorneys parted, panting slightly.

"I-I….don't know why you would need encouragement to do that." Alex licked her lips, fully satisfied with Casey's choices.

Scoffing, the redhead smirked. "Well, unlike you, I'm not bold enough to do that in a room full of people we work with unless I drown my self-consciousness in alcohol." Casey was admittedly feeling lightheaded and debatably not from the kiss. She tried standing, but stumbled.

"Whoa there." Alex lunged forward, catching the wavering ADA.

"I'm alright, Alex." Casey steadied herself, but still leaned heavily on the blonde, her face buried in Alex's shoulder. For a few seconds, Casey was immobile, simply drinking in the scent of Alex's skin and subtle perfume. "You just…smell amazing."

At this statement, the blonde attorney rolled her eyes, knowing that Casey was losing her inhibitions. "Let me call you a cab, Casey." Alex stood, helping the redhead off her seat, supporting the shorter woman with a steady arm.

"Wait, Alex." Casey stumbled a bit before she stood up straight, looking the blonde in the eye. "I don't want to go home." There was a silent standoff between the two women, the smouldering gaze in Casey's eyes telling Alex what she wanted.

"Casey…" Alex hesitated, knowing that no matter how much she wanted the other woman, there was no way she could do it in good conscience if she was so inebriated. "We both know why this isn't a good idea."

Casey furrowed her eyebrows, sobering up immensely. "Alex, we're both adults. We're both SVU prosecutors. I know the line between black and white. There's no grey area here and I am an adult who is able to fully consent to what we may or may not do tonight." At that, the redhead stifled a giggle, contradicting her attempt at appearing sober. Catching that lapse, Casey cleared her throat, putting on her serious face."Ahem-I'm…I'll probably just need a cup of coffee first before anything."

Smiling, the older ADA sighed, letting Casey win their argument. She just had one concern.

"That's not a problem, Casey. I just hope you won't blame whatever happens tonight on the alcohol."

"Not on my life, counselor. " Grinning from ear to ear as she followed Alex out of the bar, Casey leaned close, whispering. "The only thing I can blame is me and how attracted I am to you."

Chuckling at that cheesy line, Alex just rolled her eyes, hailing a cab for both of them. In retrospect, she was glad that she had followed Olivia's advice and asked Casey to come tonight. Even though the detective's speculations based on Casey's softball playing were wrong, it still panned out in the end.

* * *

 **A/N:** I should stick to oneshots. They're easy to just leave and not commit to :P

Well, I hope you enjoyed that and review if you did!


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